Duck Confit

Once esteemed as a preservation method, cooking and keeping duck in its rendered fat results in meltingly tender, moist, and extremely flavorful meat which can be used in a variety of simple preparations. Sear the duck legs in a hot skillet or shred the meat and add it to salads, or, perhaps best of all, make duck rillettes. Just remember the duck must be salted a day before you plan to cook it.

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons salt

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 shallot, peeled and sliced

6 sprigs thyme

Coarsely ground black pepper

4 duck legs with thighs

4 duck wings, trimmed

About 4 cups duck fat

Preparation

1. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt in the bottom of a dish or plastic container large enough to hold the duck pieces in a single layer. Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots, and thyme in the container. Arrange the duck, skin-side up, over the salt mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining salt, garlic, shallots, and thyme and a little pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.

2. Preheat the oven to 225°F. Melt the duck fat in a small saucepan. Brush the salt and seasonings off the duck. Arrange the duck pieces in a single snug layer in a high-sided baking dish or ovenproof saucepan. Pour the melted fat over the duck (the duck pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the oven. Cook the confit slowly at a very slow simmer — just an occasional bubble — until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours. Remove the confit from the oven. Cool and store the duck in the fat. (The confit will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.)

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Reviews

I've brined and am ready to make but I'm curious, I'm using my le creuset to make duck in and it doesn't say whether to cover or not. If I cover will the circulating heat keep skin from crisping ? I'm nervous putting uncovered oil in my oven

Just put the confit in the oven I let it brine for 2 days. Hopefully this turns out well I live in Hawaii and the duck quality is hit or miss more often than not it's a miss. I'll update once I try it.

Excellent recipe! I've made this recipe for the past 15 years during Christmas break. Make more than is called for...the finished duck confit freezes very well so we can enjoy it during the rest of the winter season. To re-heat, crisp the skin on the stovetop and then re-heat in 450F oven for 10 minutes. Excellent with garlic mashed potatoes and oven roasted green beans.

This recipe is amazing! I make it every time I make cassoulet, and sometimes just because. I have done it butchering whole ducks and confiting everything - the breasts, things and wings, with purchased duck legs, and now with good organic chicken legs. The duck carcasses never render enough fat to cover everything, so I buy duck fat and add some olive oil if needed. The duck fat is $4 a tub at our local grocery and keeps forever in the freezer. If I could stop using it for gravy, beans, sautes... Delicious!!! I will keep coming back to this recipe again and again.

Yes it really is this easy. I've made
it with duck fat, goose fat, olive oil,
and mixed duck fat/olive oil-whatever
is handy. You can freeze the fat and re-
use as long as it still smells/tastes
fresh (it gets really tasty, actually).
Season per the recipe instructions, or
do your own thing--it's all good!

I made 7 legs (they were marked down, so I
only paid about $1 each!) I took other
reviewers' advice and rinsed off the salt
and dried the legs. Also, it took closer
to 4 hours for the cooking. They were
delicious! Made 2 meals with them - the
first one I sauteed the legs to crisp up
the skin and served with Tuscan white
beans (with pancetta, tomatoes & thyme)
and the second was the pasta with confit
duck and savoy cabbage from this website.

To a cook from NYC you could cook it your slow cooker but don't cover it. You want the moisture to escape the dish so as to leave your fat clear and pure for your next run. Also the oven might be a more controlled heat unless your slow cooker has more options than high, medium, and low. The slower the better.

I didn't rate the recipe since I have not made it yet. Question: Since this cooks at such a low temperature and for a few hours, does anyone know if you can make it in a slow cooker? I would imagine so, but am wondering if it needs to not be covered as it woudl be with the lid of the slow-cooker. Thanks!

Fabulous recipe, but CRAZY SALTY. Made it the 2nd time with 1/2 the salt: still way too much. I'm using French Grey sea salt, perhaps it's my salt? Will try the netx time with even less & see how that goes. Otherwise, a great recipe.

Yes to this recipe and purchasing the ducks ( i did 2 at the same time which meant no need to buy the fat) at your local Asian market though it might not be for the squeamish...my ducks were "anatomically correct";).Oh and the head and webbed feet add lots o extra taste to the stock. That being said the price difference and freshness of birds made it all worthwhile.
I haven't confitted a chicken yet but am saving up my fat. Just a heads up...tomato confit (in olive oil) is yummy as well.

Well this worked
and the confit was
good. I now know
why this is so
expensive. It took
$60 worth of duck
(3 whole) to get
about a pound of
confit. (the
breasts were saved
and the rest made a
pretty good duck
stock)

This was very tasty-
I let it sit for 2
days and after
baking it in the
fat in the oven, I
pan seared the
drumsticks and
wings so that the
skin would be
crispy. I would
wholeheartedly
recommend this
recipe to anyone-
it is quite easy.